The use of electron beam radiation, i.e., a beam of electrons accelerated through an electric potential, to cure or crosslink polymers used in pressure sensitive adhesives is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,956,904 describes the use of high energy electron beam radiation to crosslink or cure pressure sensitive adhesives to improve the shear properties thereof. The benefits claimed for radiation cure versus conventional sulfur cure include higher shear performance without loss of tack, as well as the absence of staining on lightly colored painted surfaces, typically caused by the presence of sulfur compounds in the adhesive. The radiation disclosed therein was the discharge of high energy electrons from a cathode ray tube powered by a resonant transformer operated at 1000 kV. There is no disclosure therein of using low voltage radiation.
It is also known that electron beam radiation applied at doses necessary to crosslink pressure sensitive adhesives to their desired level of performance (0.5 to 10.0 MRad) can damage many of the backings commonly used to form pressure sensitive tapes, such as cellulose-based backings (e.g., paper and cotton cloth), polypropylene film, polyvinyl chloride film, and polytetrafluoroethylene film.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,297 discloses the use of a critically adjusted electron beam taught to be capable of curing coatings on a radiation-sensitive substrate. The patent describes the effective beam energy as being in the range of 50 to 300 keV for curing pressure sensitive adhesives on temperature sensitive webs such as paper, plastic and the like, with doses of from 0.5 to 5 MRad. The beam energy of the reference is taught to be controlled through a combination of the accelerating potential and the energy loss of the beam as it travels through the various layers of material prior to reaching the coating to be cured. Such layers include the foil window separating the high vacuum chamber of the electron gun and the atmosphere, a layer of nitrogen gas between the foil and the sample to be cured, and any covering liner over the coating to be cured.
This reference discloses a process for assertedly achieving substantially uniform electron beam cure of a coating while ensuring minimal irradiation of the substrate, e.g., a tape backing. However, the examples described therein disclose a ratio of the irradiation dose at the front of the coating to be cured to that at the back of the coating, i.e., at the coating/backing interface, of 5:1. We have determined that such a degree of dose variation through the thickness of the adhesive is unacceptable for pressure sensitive adhesive coatings because upon removal of the tape from a substrate, cohesive failure of the adhesive results and adhesive residue is undesirably left on the substrate. Pressure sensitive adhesives require a fairly uniform cure throughout the thickness of the adhesive.